Tilley secures fourth Keynote title & Baldwin wins the men’s Overall Champion title at the Delancey British Alpine Ski Championships in Meribel
Though both Tilley and Baldwin have remained unbeaten this week, both winning four discipline titles, this was a particularly special day for both at the Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships in Meribel France, when they secured keynote titles that they have dreamed of winning since they were young racers. Baldwin won the Men's Giant Slalom and Tilley collected the Women's Slalom title - putting her firmly on course to lift the overall Victrix Ludorum for the overall champion.
For Baldwin, winning the foundation discipline, giant slalom, is an important milestone in his career, equally so for Aberdeen's Tilley who skied slalom almost exclusively until last year.
"I am really happy." Baldwin smiled, "This is my first ever GS title, so I really am happy. Dave was about half a second ahead of me after the first run and I was a bit annoyed about that, my first run was a bit shaky. So that took the pressure off really, I felt there was nothing to lose. The conditions were not great on the final pitch, but Dave Ryding came out and so that was it. I said to him it was shame because it would have been good to have a proper race, but then it happened to me last year when my heel binding ripped out.
Four out of four is good. The speed races here have been awesome, racing down the Stade (the final pitch), and the guys here have done a great job."
For both, the men's and women's fields were much closer and more competitive. Baldwin was up against the on form David Ryding who has scored three Top 10 results at Europa Cup level this season. Indeed Ryding set the fastest time in the first run of the Men's GS, leading Baldwin by half a second, but the Cumbrian slalom racer cut the line too close and crashed out midway down the second run, leaving Baldwin to win. Norwich based Baldwin will not race tomorrow's Slalom, but has already won the Men's Overall Champion title.
Tilley laid the foundations of her Slalom win with the fastest first run time, making enough of a margin to hold off compatriot Charlie Guest, who skied the fastest second run to finish runner-up to Tilley:
"Today I was a little more nervous than I have been." Said the Scot, "The competition was a lot tighter than it has been, with a couple more international racers in there as well. And so I am probably happiest with this one. This is the title I have wanted for the longest. I have always thought of myself as a slalom skier pretty much until last year when I started doing speed. So I am absolutely delighted."
Ryding starts as favourite for the Men's Slalom title, reflecting today on a breakthrough season: "It is a shame about today. My first run was good but on the second I fell on my side, I went a little too straight and went over. This season has been great for me. I did a lot of fitness last summer. Before Christmas I was not so great but then I turned it around at Europa Cup, with a great top 10 result.
I was skiing well, I was skiing fast in training and not many people were faster. Then I got it going in the races, just let it go. The results just kept coming. There is more to come. I am as motivated as ever and really can see the hard work having paid off. I need to do it again this summer. I went really hard on the bike in the summer. I did 1000 miles in four weeks, some in Austria and some at home, and then went hard on the weights.
I have been on my own a lot. Noel Baxter has been injured but he will be back and it is great that we can have two good slalom skiers now, we can keep it going. It is so hard to keep it going on your own. It is not quite groundhog day, but it is like slalom, slalom, slalom. So you when you are a little tired it really helps to have someone else to really step it on. It is has been hard at World Cup with a high bib number, it will always be hard. But on Europa Cup I have known I can do it, and so I believe in myself and can charge it harder at World Cup."
The Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships (25th March to 2nd April) is the biggest event on the British alpine calendar, and provides the opportunity for young British athletes to race on the same pistes recently chosen by FIS to host the Finals of the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2015.
Details of the Delancey British National Alpine Ski Championships, including race programs and details of how to attend as spectator can be found on the official website: www.britishalpinechamps.com. Further information on Delancey and the services they provide can be found on: www.delancey.com
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For further information and photography please contact Katharine Walsh on +44 7957 855102 or email Katharine.walsh@delancey.com Or
To arrange an interview with Dave Edwards or one of the BSS elite athletes please contact: Kirsty Buchanan on +44 207 842 5764 or email BuchananK@teamGB.com
